LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — A Christmas Tree Shops Express is opening in the Berkshire Mall in time for the holiday season.

The temporary store will be located in the vacant 10,000 square foot space near JC Penney.

The store is already hiring temporary positions with interviewing continuing outside the food court on Saturday from 10 to 5 for temporary/seasonal positions, shift supervisors, customer service associates, merchandise processing and cashiers.

Express shops usually remain open through the holiday season and into January. The smaller stores offer a selection of merchandise focused on Christmas gifts, decor, gift wrap, cards and holiday foods, according the company.

Despite the size, the announcement of the store has generated some buzz on the iBerkshires Facebook page and hopes that it may lead to a larger, more permanent presence.

Jennifer Smith, marketing director for Pyramid Management Group, the mall's owners, said she did not have a set date for the store's opening though it is expected to open by the beginning of November.

"Obviously, we want to make sure folks know it's coming and although it is just a seasonal store, it is an exciting addition to have!" she wrote in an email.

Attempts to contact a spokesman for Christmas Tree Shops were unsuccessful.

The closest stores to the Berkshires are at the Holyoke Mall, in Albany, N.Y., and in Manchester, Conn., an hour or more away for many residents.

The discount chain was founded on Cape Cod in 1970 and is now owned by Bad, Bath & Beyond. It has locations in 18 states, with stores up to 58,000 square feet in size (six times the size of the Express planned for the mall).

pittsfield.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.